Unsure what to do

Pipp said:

Hello @NETTIENOO , and welcome.
Many members have managed to reduce their HbA1c, (which is the number you are referring to) quite quickly using low carb way of eating. From much higher levels too. Above 48 is diabetic, between 42 and 48 is prediabetic. Ideally you would be aiming for below 42.
Have a read round the forums, particularly the success stories.
For more information on low carb, there are links in my signature. Read, and ask questions. Members are generally very helpful.
Best wishes. Pipp

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KennyA said:

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Your numbers can come down really quickly. I started at roughly the same place as you and was at normal (38 to 42) levels within four months, after going on a low-carb "keto" lifestyle. Other people on here have come down from much higher starting points just as quickly.

One issue is that there are supposed to be two HbA1c tests to confirm a diabetic diagnosis, because there is an element of percentage error in the test. That may be why your GP wants to test again in July. Your 49 result is borderline.

A second question is whether you want to be diagnosed as diabetic. A formal diagnosis means that you will have checks and tests for signs of diabetic damage regularly. It also means that your insurance premiums will probably be increased as insurance companies still seem to assume that a diagnosis of Type 2 means an inevitable progression to serious complications.

If I could have avoided a formal diagnosis, knowing what I know now, I would have done.

However to get to the level where you are means that you are likely to have a problem with carbohydrate. Even if your levels do come down and the diagnosis is not confirmed it means being aware of the potential for the problem to recur.

That said, even if you went strict low-carb you might not get down quickly enough if the next test is due in July. You could consider asking for the test to be put off for a while? There is a further complication I should mention because practices are rewarded, by the government's funding arrangements, for finding previously undiagnosed diabetes: rather than for preventing people getting ill. That should not be a factor, because the GP has a duty to act in your best interests, rather than the practice's.

Best of luck. This is a very helpful forum.

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